God Is Watching Over When We Are Afraid
My mother tells a story of when she was very young, on her way to Africa as a missionary with her husband and 18 month old firstborn daughter. This was before America was at war in World War II, but because the ship they, and the other 120 plus missionaries were sailing on, had been a troop ship in World War I, its silhouette made it a target for the German navy. One very early dawn, the ship’s occupants were rudely awakened by the sound of shells whining and hitting the ship. My mother said she sprung out of bed and said to my father, “What is happening?” To which he replied, “I think we are being shelled.”
Mother said she grabbed the iron post of the bunk in their cabin and said out loud, “Lord, I am afraid.” She said that at the very minute after voicing her fear, she heard a voice, which said to her, “Do not be afraid, I am with you.” For years afterwards, and until her death, she would often say, “Did I ever tell you about the time I heard the voice of the Lord?” And with great emotion she would tell this experience. She never ceased to be amazed at how quickly the Lord came to her aid when she voiced out her fear to Him.
Our Lord knows there will be times when we are faced with fear. Fear comes upon us sometimes without warning, and we feel held in its grasp. And since our dear Father knows we will be beset by fear, He has given us the way to peace. King David in Psalm 56:3 says it like this, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.”
We first need to acknowledge that we are afraid, thus David did not say IF I am afraid, but rather, WHEN I am afraid, taking for granted that those fearful times will come. After we acknowledge our fear, then we PUT our trust in the Lord. We literally say to Him, “Lord, I am here actively choosing to put my trust in You." As we put, give over, lift up our trust to Him, we find His peace in knowing that He alone is able to take care of us. God watches over us to replace our fear with His peace, making us the recipients of His almighty care. Thank you, Lord!
By Mary Fawcett